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Topic: Critique IPA recipe (Read 2365 times)

So I finally acquired some choice hops and here is how intend to use them. I've had problems with IPAs before lacking in aroma and flavor and being mostly just unbalanced bitterness so I'm looking to avoid that this go round. Really looking for some aroma/flavor to stand out in at least half the batch (going to use two different yeasts). This will be my first 10 gal IPA batch.

What about FWH with Columbus go give a smooth earthy note in the flavor? I find that for an IPA, I want layers of hop flavor and aroma. The hops you are using (I don't count the warrior, since it's so clean) might just be too much citrus/stone fruit and one dimensional. One mans opinion. I bet this would be a great beer tho if brewed as is. Those hops are in short supply for a reason :-)

Warrior is a low-cohumulone hop, so I don't think it is necessary to substitute another hop for FWH. That being said, I see more and more recipes with about half of the initial bittering charge a FWH with CTZ or chinook and the other half a bittering charge of magnum or warrior at 60 minutes. Kelsey McNair's Hop Fu that took gold twice at NHC comes to mind.

Amarillo and Simcoe are one of my favorite combos of hopping. Right up there with cascade and centennial. The only time I have used Amarillo, Simcoe, and Citra together was in a dry hop APA and that may have been one of my favorite dry hop combos. Dank, Piney, Flowery, Citrus, Tropical notes. All fantastic hoppy goodness. I don't think that will be very one dimensional. I wouldn't waste Amarillo as a FWH hop. Too hard to get and the aromatics are too fantastic!

For a 10 gallon batch, I would double all of your late hop additions and quadruple you 0/WP and dry hop additions or 3oz./5 gallons at zero and dry hop. You could even double or at least multiply by 1.5 times the 5 minute addition to really hop burst that mother! And/Or move the 15 minute addition to 10 minutes.

I would pick one crystal malt only and eliminate the other for only 5% of your grist. Keep the malt bill clean and simple.

Yeasts are fine (I don't prefer Irish Ale yeast, but different strokes for different folks! My go to is WLP007)

Simcoe/Amarillo/Citra is an awesome hop combo. I would double your whirlpool hops and triple your dry hops. Otherwise, it looks good to me. I've done an IPA very similar to this and the hop character was fantastic.

So the consensus seems to be to up the late additions quite a bit. Going with what I have on hand, I'll definitely double up the 5min and WP additions. I may be able to do the same for the 15min. I have an oz each of whole leaf I had planned on using for the DH, beyond that it may be another trip to the LHBS. The efficiency is set at 75 I think. I usually come in between 70-73, occasionally better. We will see how this goes, a little lower wont be the biggest problem. I may tool around with a FWH in the future but will probably leave it out this go round. I feel the need to use these hops all in the later stages as they are tough to find. Thanks for the tips. Cheers!